Storm Arrives Friday; Early Reviews Mixed

Research in Motion's long-awaited BlackBerry Storm smart phone is set to finally make its debut Friday. Available at Verizon Wireless stores as well as Best Buy, the first-ever touchscreen BlackBerry retails for $199.99 with a two-year contract after a mail-in rebate, and is exclusive to Verizon Wireless.

Early reviews of the device have been mixed.

The Wall Street Journal's Walter Mossberg praised the Storm's camera, but complained that the phone's keypad is just too different from the standard BlackBerry keyboard, as well as the lack of Wi-Fi capability. The Boy Genius Report called it "a great phone," while giving more limited praise to the phone's other functions. And Engadget praised the device's look while noting that the hardware "doesn't work."

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